This invention relates to the storage of utility knives having segmented disposable blades, and more particularly to an apparatus for storing and holding such a utility knife along with used blade segments resulting from use of the knife.
Utility knives adapted to hold segmented blades are known. Such knives are commonly used to cut wallpaper, cardboard or other types of similar products. As the cutting edge of the endmost segment of the blade becomes dull due to repeated use, the endmost blade segment may be snapped off exposing a fresh blade segment having a fresh cutting edge. This process may be repeated until all of the blade segments have been used. The remainder of the blade may be removed from the knife and a replacement blade having multiple unused segments may then be inserted into the knife. This process may be repeated as long as replacement blades are available.
Most of these hand-held utility knives are adapted to retract the segmented blade so that the cutting edge of the endmost segment may be withdrawn into the interior of the knife when the knife is not being used. A knife capable of retracting the blade is generally safer than a knife in which the blade is not retractable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,103,421 and 4,226,020 disclose knives having a cutting blade which may be fully or partially retracted and held in such a position.
One difficulty with using a knife with a segmented blade is that with repeated use, the cutting edge of the endmost blade segment will dull. The endmost blade segment must then be broken off from the remainder of the blade. Usually, some sort of tool is necessary to grasp or engage the endmost used blade segment and break it off from the remainder of the blade. Once the endmost blade segment is broken off, it must be discarded safely. Several knives such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,356 have been equipped with a device, often called an end cap, which may be removed from one end of the knife and used to snap off the endmost segment of the blade. Such an end cap usually has a slot therein which is adapted to receive the endmost blade segment. One difficulty with using an end cap to snap off endmost blade segments is that once the endmost blade segment has been broken off from the remainder of the blade, there is no place for the used blade segment to be placed or stored safely. Consequently, the used blade segment may drop onto the floor where it may be picked up by a child or stepped on or otherwise cause harm to someone in the vicinity. Only if the user of such a hand knife is able to maintain pressure on the sides of the end cap while the endmost blade segment is located in the slot of the end cap will the used blade segment not fall away from the end cap onto the floor. If the user is able to hold the used blade segment with the end cap, the user may walk over to a trash can and properly dispose of the used blade segment. However, often the user is on a ladder or nowhere near a trash receptacle. Therefore, this method of breaking off and disposing used blade segments is not always practical. In addition, it is time consuming and requires a great deal of effort.
Another difficulty with using an end cap to break off an endmost blade segment is that often the user""s hands are wet or dirty so, consequently, when trying to snap off the endmost blade segment with the end cap, the user""s hands may slip and result in a skin cut. Because the slot in the end cap is relatively narrow, it is difficult to properly line up the slot in the end cap with the endmost blade segment. The user may miss the slot in the end cap, causing the cutting edge of the endmost blade segment to cut the user.
Knives have been developed which are adapted to store used blade segments temporarily. Examples of such knives are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,093,993 and 5,014,429. However, these knives are adapted to house or store a limited number of used blade segments. Additionally, proper disposal of these used blade segments is difficult once the storage space of the knife has been filled.
Another difficulty with using an end cap of a hand knife to break off blade segments is that two hands are required to remove the end cap from one end of the knife and place it over the endmost blade segment at the other end of the knife in order to properly snap off the endmost blade segment. Often when a user is on a ladder or in another such location, two hands are not available because the user must use one hand to hold himself or herself in place for safety purposes.
Therefore, it has been one objective of the present invention to provide a mechanism for holding and storing a utility knife and collecting used blade segments for proper disposal.
It has been a further objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of being used with a utility knife having a segmented blade in which the endmost blade segment may be quickly and easily snapped off by the user with the use of only one hand.
It has been a further objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus adapted to store both a hand-held utility knife and a plurality of used blade segments which may be worn by a user comfortably.
The invention of this application which accomplishes these objectives comprises a holster assembly for use with a hand held utility knife adapted to hold a segmented blade. Such utility knives take many different forms and are the subject of numerous patents. The invention of this application may be used with many different hand held utility knives. Therefore, the utility knife and the segmented blade form no part of the present invention.
The holster assembly of the present invention is adapted to receive and hold a utility knife having a segmented blade and a disposable blade well. The holster assembly comprises a plastic holster having multiple wall portions and a bottom portion, the wall and bottom portions defining a hollow interior adapted to receive and store a utility knife having a segmented blade and a disposable blade well. The holster has an open top so that the utility knife may be removed and used without disturbing the blade well. Similarly, the blade well may be removed without disturbing the utility knife.
The holster preferably has a clip secured to a rear wall portion of the holster, enabling the user to secure the holster onto his or her belt, pants or a pocket where it is in a user-friendly position and will not interfere with the ability of the user to work. Other securing mechanisms not specifically illustrated and described such as belt loops may be used as well to secure the holster to the user.
The disposable blade well is removably located inside the generally hollow interior of the holster. The blade well has a generally hollow interior adapted to collect and receive used blade segments. The blade well has a first slot therethrough whereby an endmost segment of the knife blade may be placed into the slot and the knife twisted in order to break off the endmost segment of the knife blade, the endmost segment falling inside the blade well.
Consequently, a fresh, sharp edge of the segmented blade is exposed for use. Upon repetition of this process, multiple used blade segments are collected inside the hollow interior of the blade well. Once the hollow interior of the blade well is sufficiently full, the blade well may be discarded and replaced with an empty, new disposable blade well.
The blade well has a finger loop secured to the top of the blade well whereby a user may lift the blade well away from the holster by inserting a finger into the finger loop and pulling the blade well upwardly. In this manner, the blade well, once full of used blade segments, may be removed and discarded. An empty blade well may then be inserted into the hollow interior of the holster and the process repeated.
The blade well also has a second slot formed through the top of the blade well. This second slot enables a user to discard the end piece of a segmented knife blade (the piece left over after all the segmented pieces have been used) by passing the end piece through the second slot and into the hollow interior of the blade well. Although the second slot is preferably formed in the top of the blade well, it may be located at any other location. Similarly, the first slot may be located anywhere on the blade well, although it is illustrated in one specific location.
The blade well has a storage compartment integrally formed therein. The blade storage compartment is adapted to store additional unused segmented blades. Although the blade storage compartment is preferably integrally formed with the blade well, it may be separately formed and attached to the blade well. The storage compartment functions to safely store additional segmented blades which may be inserted into the utility knife once the blade in the knife is worn out due to use and all of the segments broken off. The storage compartment has a cap hingedly connected to the blade storage compartment which may be lifted in order to remove one or more unused blades from the blade storage compartment.
The blade storage compartment is vertically oriented and sized so as to engage a receptacle integrally formed in the holster. The engagement of the blade storage compartment of the blade well with the receptacle of the holster functions to inhibit lateral movement of the blade well inside the generally hollow interior of the holster yet permits the blade well to be lifted out of the hollow interior of the holster.
The holster assembly of the present invention may be worn by a user in a position where it will not interfere with the user""s ability to work with a hand-held utility knife. In addition, the holster assembly provides a storage device for collecting and storing used blade segments. A slot in the blade well enables a user to engage the endmost blade segment of the utility knife with the slot and simply twist the utility knife in order to break off the endmost blade segment. This is a relatively easy method of breaking off the endmost used blade segment. The user does not have to use two hands to break off an endmost blade segment. These and other objects and advantage of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following description of the drawings.